Gardai to introduce speed vans on 61 new routes to curb speeding

DUBLIN: Gardai will introduce mobile speed-monitoring cameras in 61 new areas across 23 counties in Ireland. The new ‘safety camera zones’ – areas where camera vans can park to record speeds – are as part of a major clampdown on speeding. The new camera zones will be operational from 6am next Tuesday, bringing the total number in the country to 1,373.

Gardai said the cameras will operate in places where speeding and collisions are common. The camera vans are being introduced after analyzing data from fatal, serious and minor road traffic collisions and concerns from local communities.

48.7% of the new camera zones are on regional roads. 20.4% are on national roads, 4.8% are on motorways, another 7% on local roads and another 19.1% unclassified, a garda statement said.

Superintendent Thomas Murphy, Garda National Roads Policing Bureau said that “when someone decides to speed they put themselves and members of their community at risk, particularly children, older people, cyclists and other motorists”.

“Our priority is to ensure that the vast majority of people who use the roads responsibly are not put in danger by a minority of reckless drivers who continue to drive at excessive speed.

“By identifying and targeting these high-risk areas, the aim is to reduce the number of fatal and serious injury collisions.”